Ohio Online Gambling Laws – Is Poker Legal?

Playing poker online in the United States and Ohio is NOT illegal. There is a bit of a gray area in regard to online poker, although as of 2014 no online poker player has ever been prosecuted within the state. Simply put, you are not in violation of any laws when you play online poker as an individual.

Regulation and Taxes for Online Poker in Ohio

Status of regulation: Not regulated in the United States and Ohio.

Tax on Players: 0-44.99%. You are taxed on your poker winnings at the Federal and State levels. Federal taxes can be up to 39.6% at the highest level. Ohio has a progressive state income tax of 0.53% to 5.93%.

Segregation: None – Ohio players share tables with players in other states and countries in the same combined player pool.

Cashout Times

Cashout times can vary by withdrawal method and from site to site. We recommend you view the US Poker Cashout Report for the most recent processing times.

Live Poker in Ohio

There are several live poker rooms spread all over Ohio, including the Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo areas. The Columbus area has five poker rooms alone, the largest is at Hollywood Casino boasting a 36 table poker room and great customer service.

Online Poker Legislation

Ohio could possibly pursue online poker legislation in the near future. In 2012 State Lottery Director, Dennis Berg acknowledged that the subject of online poker needed further investigation. This came on the heels of the 2011 Department of Justice decision in regard to the Federal Wire Act and its applicability to only sports betting

However for now the state of Ohio sits idle on the subject.

Poker legislation can change on a day to day basis – contact us by email if you see an update that should be made to this page or have difficulties getting online to play.

How Much Cash Back Will I Earn?

Rakeback increases your winnings from online poker as you continually earn money back from every raked hand or tournament you play.

Many players earn a living wage from rakeback alone. Use the calculator below to estimate the size of payments you’ll get over a given period of time. The calculator will compute your expected daily, weekly, and monthly cash back depending on the stakes and tables you input.